Volvo Penta outdrive identification/help

[dpagini]

Hello all,

First post, relatively new to boating. Coming up on my first winter with my new (to me) 2000 FourWinns 248 Vista, and trying to complete my basic maintenance steps. I have identified my engine by the tags as a VP 5.7GL-C. I'm not so lucky with my drive... the metal plate w the model number is corroded beyond recognition. How can I alternatively identify what drive I have so I can get parts for this thing? On the back of the drive, there is a plastic plate that just reads "Volvo Penta DP". When I search online, I see there are a hundred versions of "VP DP" - being new to Volvo Penta, what gives with all these models!?
To explain some of the things I am looking for, I want to know the drive model for the following parts/reasons... I want to change the drive oil, and I believe I'll need some o-rings to replace. I would like to take the drive off for the winter to clean and basically inventory what I have (gimbal/bellows/etc)... I'm assuming I will need a bell housing gasket kit to reattach in spring (basing that on my experience w an alpha one last winter)? I also know I'll need some zincs. Maybe I don't need a full model for these things? Can anyone help?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[bruceb58]

You likely have a "EF" or a "WT" model.

Your drive is basically a DP-SM.

What is your complete model number? Should be on a tag on the circuit breaker box on the engine.

Are you sure its a 5.7GL-C? That is the model number for a motor newer than 2000.

When you change your gear oil, you will need 3 o-rings.
Between the drive and the pivot housing there is a 2 inch long oblong o-ring that seal the water passage.
There is no paper gasket between the drive and the pivot housing.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Welcome.
You can contact 4winns​ and send them the hull ID # and they should have the info on the equipment that was installed at purchase.
Sometimes things get changed, sometimes not.​

 

[dpagini]

Thank you bruceb58 and jerryjerry05 !
I could not definitively say the boat has or has not been re-powered before I owned it.I guess that would make sense given the engine numbering, though. If it has, does that throw off your outdrive model suggestion?

The tag on the circuit breaker box on the engine reads:
5.7GL-C
3869188
4012080228

Can you help me understand your "EF" or "WT" model suggestion, as well as the DP-SM? Is that based off engine? or boat model maybe? What would the difference between a "DP-S" and "DP-SM" be? Is there anywhere online that is a good resource for these questions?
I guess given that I'm unsure if the engine was repowered, I also couldnt say if the drive was original, although judging by appearance, I would be more comfortable guessing the outdrive is original. The owner of about 5 years before me had a boat yard service it every year, but looking at what's left of the anodes and the overall exterior condition, I wonder how much they actually did.

Here are two pics of the outdrive, if it helps at all...?
https://img42.com/Q6Xkj
https://img42.com/zCcCB
The props on it are F4's. The gear oil drain plug is behind the propellers. When I remove the plastic cover of the drive, there is a little plate with some numbers etched into it that I can barely see, and if it's helpful, those numbers are "52280". The following photo is not of my drive, but shows an arrow pointing to where the numbers are: https://img42.com/Fiasp

 

[bruceb58]

What color is your engine? Very possible it was switched out. If its grey, it's an original engine from 2000.

The drive looks original.

BTW, that picture of the drive that isn't yours is mine? That is my actual boat!

DP-S and DP-SM are the same drive. Later years(2007) used the nomenclature DPS-A, DPS-B....

http://www(dot)marinepartsexpress(do..._outdrives.php <-- replace the (dot) with .
You can also call these guys and they will help you

This file should also help you out for the engines.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...voengineid.pdf

 

[dpagini]

Engine is red. You HAVE to be kidding me on the drive picture... that is unbelievable! I just did a Google Image Search for "volvo penta remove shift cover" and it was like the 8th picture maybe, right in the middle of the page, that had what I was looking for on it. The website it's on is boatered.com. I can't even imagine what the odds of this happening are... ha!

Thanks for the resources, I will have a look through these, and also give the marinepartsexpress guys a call if I need more info.

 

[dpagini]

I just talked to JP over at marinepartsexpress, and I dont think I have ever talked to a nicer and more helpful person in my whole life. A++++
Thank you bruceb58 for the help on this forum.

 

[bruceb58]

You are welcome. I can make some more suggestions when you start getting to do your maintenance.

 

[dpagini]

Sure, I'll take anything you care to share!
The guys at the site you mentioned suggested to me that I have a DP-SM, probably 1.95 gear ratio. They thought the model number should be on the top of the drive, but I don't see anything there, and it worried me a little. From my pictures, you can barely see the metal tag behind the trim ram, but he didnt seem too concerned with that tag being in an unexpected place.
Anyways, I took the drive off this weekend. As this is the first winter with the boat, I just wanted to see what I had with the bellows/gimbal, and clean the drive up. Pleasantly surprised with how the drive slid off. Didn't completely remove the shift cable linkage at first, so I had to unscrew the adjuster before I got it all the way off. I wasn't 100% sure about that one, so I took it easy until I realized it wouldn't fit without it on.

So the odd shaped o-ring that seals the water passage is really all I will need in the spring? What keeps the water from getting to the u-joint/drive shaft? Is it just such a perfect machined fit? Is it the rubber ring right where the bellows is attached to the pivot housing? Does that get changed individually, or just when you change the bellows?

I have the specs on painting the drive, so I will follow all the precautions there. What are your thoughts on "walnut shell blasting"? Someone suggested that to me as a way to clean the drive up. I had never even heard of it until now. I find more people online saying they use it to clean boat bottoms, rather than drives.

Anything else I should know?

 

[bruceb58]

The nose of the drive where it hits the u-joint bellows is what provides the seal. If you don't know the age of the u-joint bellows, I suggest changing it. Only use OEM.

The model number on mine is on a tag on the port side of the drive around the level of the trim rams.

Make sure you check the gimbal bearing alignment before you put the drive back on. You can buy alignment bars on ebay. They are the same for Merc/OMC/Volvo.

When you change your gear oil, always replace all the o-rings of the 3 plugs. The bottom plug is behind the props. You will need a special tool to get the forward prop off. Getting the o-ring on the lower plug is trricky without screwing up the o-ring. I put electrical tape over the threads first and slide the oring over it so it doesn't get cut.

To fill the drive with oil, you want to buy an adapter piece that screws into the drive and then you slide on the tube from your oil pump.
http://www.marinepartssource.com/ne...g=VOLVO&desc=Duo Prop Outdrive Filler Adapter

 

[dpagini]

U-joint bellows are maybe 3 years old. I have the paperwork of the last service to gimbal and bellows at home, so I will double check. How long should I go before a routine change? I was told it's a relatively simple task to change the bellows - do you agree with that?

Why is it you check the alignment when just removing the drive? What would cause the alignment to change... just pulling the drive out? Maybe I'll try to borrow one at the club in the spring time.

 

[bruceb58]

I change my bellows at 5 years.

The alignment can change from the stringers compressing because of age. Normally, you don't have to make any adjustments but I check mine every time I take my drive off.